UAE launches first passenger railway: Abu Dhabi — Fujairah in 1 hour 45 minutes, Chinese companies help build the new network
UAE launches first passenger railway: Abu Dhabi — Fujairah in 1 hour 45 minutes, Chinese companies help build the new network. On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched trial operations of its first passenger railway line, Etihad Rail, marking the start of the country's long planned national passenger rail network, with several Chinese companies involved in the construction. The desert, which for centuries was a natural barrier, is now becoming a transit zone. What used to take hours by car on scorching roads is now reduced to an hour and a half in the comfort of a modern train. Etihad Rail is not just a railway. It is a symbol of how the UAE is redefining its geography, turning distance into speed and separate emirates into a single economic space.
According to Etihad Rail, the first section of the railway connects the capital Abu Dhabi with the eastern emirate of Fujairah in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The opening of Dubai and Al Daid stations is scheduled for 30 September, and Al Dhafra station for 30 December. The entire route will be completed with the opening of Sharjah station on 30 March 2027. Etihad Rail, one of the UAE's largest infrastructure projects in recent years, will ultimately connect 11 cities and regions across all seven emirates through 11 stations. When fully operational, passenger traffic is forecast to reach 36 million by 2030. The passenger fleet consists of 13 trains, each capable of carrying up to 400 passengers. Chinese companies involved in the project include China Railway International Group Co., Ltd. (CRIG), CRRC Corporation Ltd., Power Construction Corporation of China and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.
Etihad Rail is the UAE's national railway network, conceived as a key element of the country's transport infrastructure. The first phase of freight operations was launched earlier; now it is the turn of passenger services. The full network will connect all seven emirates, integrating with seaports and airports. Chinese companies' participation in the project is part of broader cooperation between China and the Gulf states under the Belt and Road Initiative. The forecast of 36 million passengers by 2030 makes Etihad Rail one of the most ambitious transport projects in the region.
When a train crosses the desert in an hour and a half instead of four hours by car, it is not just travel time that changes — the perception of the country changes too. For UAE residents, it means being able to live in one emirate and work in another without wasting time on the road. For tourists, it means seeing more in less time. And for the economy, it is an impulse that connects ports, cities and markets. Etihad Rail is not just rails and carriages. It is an answer to the question of how to unite a country quickly and comfortably, where camels were once the main mode of transport. And when the first passengers board the train, they will become part of a new chapter in the Emirates' history — a chapter written on rails.
As reported by CCTV+, the trial operation will last several months, with full passenger services expected to launch in 2027.
